In a principal aspect, the present invention relates to a generally parallelepiped bag construction having generally rigid side panels and a flexible bottom panel to enable the bag to be folded for purposes of storage, shipment and display, yet assembled in a rigid form for use as a tool bag or the like.
The use of bags, particularly generally parallelepiped bags, for tools by workmen, for craftsmen, for sportsmen and others to carry their gear and things is a well-known expedient. Typically, such bags include lateral sides and bottom with a top cover that enables protection of the contents of the bag. Preferably, the lateral sides and the bottom side of the bag are rigid or stiff so as to further protect the contents and facilitate movement and carrying of such a bag.
However, the storage of such bags, as well as the packaging and shipping of such bags, requires significant amounts of space inasmuch as the internal portion of the bag is generally empty. Thus, a bag which is comprised of generally rigid panels in a parallelepiped form can be costly to store, ship and display.
To overcome such disadvantages, soft-sided bags have been developed. Thus, a bag having a generally rigid bottom panel and soft lateral sides may be folded for purposes of storage, transport, display and the like. However, with such a construction, the soft sides of the bag do not provide the type of protection and physical integrity to protect the contents of the bag once the bag is in use. Thus, there has developed the need for a folding bag constructed of multiple, generally rigid lateral sides and a connected bottom side.